suckers aarrgh!

Have just pulled off suckers from Just Joeys for about the 4th year in a row. It's so frustrating. Can anyone tell me what causes suckers to form? It's not due to trauma/injury to the roots. What can I do to avoid this from happening again? Just Joey is a beautiful rose (although I can't detect any fragrance despite what others say) but this problem has driven me nuts. Suggestions please.

not due to trauma etc and you can't avoid it....

Silky, any chance of a photo, Is it a sucker or water shoots

Too late Roseman, those damn suckers are gone, pulled off. And that took a bit of doing I can tell you. So no photo.They were definitely suckers, coming from a root, way down below the graft, below the level of the soil. Same spot every year. First year I wasn't too sure and watched this long shoot grow like a triffid, different foliage. Now I know what they are and am wondering what causes it.

silkyfizz wrote:. Now I know what they are and am wondering what causes it.

Suckers often develop if roots are injured, so avoid damaging the roots during digging or hoeing. If a rose is growing on its own root system it may still produce suckers from the roots, but these shoots will be identical to the rest of the plant and can even be used for propagation

I didn't know that roses grown own roots can also develop suckers. These suckers came from grafted roses though and I'm very careful when cultivating around the roses. I suppose its always possible that I've accidentally nicked a root. Is there any correlation between rootstock used and sucker development?

silkyfizz wrote:Is there any correlation between rootstock used and sucker development?

not to my knowledge as we use only one rootstock here, but it could differ in the eastern states as there are a couple of different rootstocks over there.....Ausrose or Roseman might be able to add more light here...

Not sure of your situation but if there was another rose growing there previously the roots from that plant maybe sending up the suckers.

The Heritage Rose people recommend care growing some roses from cuttings as they can simply take off with suckers coming up everywhere.

Balinbear wrote:as they can simply take off with suckers coming up everywhere.

That conjures an image from movie of Day of the Triffids, just need the clicking sounds...
Well I know that there wasn't a rose there before Balinbear, so it couldn't be a stray piece of rootstock.

Silky, did it ever flower(the sucker) and if so what colour ?. My guess it was the infamous 'Dr Huey'. Do you know where you purchased the roses from ?

Silky, I sympathise with you, I have a couple of citrus trees that sucker terribly. I bought myself a root saw from Forestry Supplies and have cut as far down as I can get to those little suckers and then paint the side of the tree even if it is under the ground with Root Prune & keep my fingers crossed. I am yet to have a Rose sucker problem fingers crossed. Don't know if my method would work with Roses..  

Balinbear wrote:The Heritage Rose people recommend care growing some roses from cuttings as they can simply take off with suckers coming up everywhere.

LOL Friends of mine inherited a rose garden. There was a very old species of rose planted. It suckers EVERYWHERE. Even round-up doesn't kill it off... (and they've tried)

I'm surprised the roundup didn't kill the plant....

Roseman, I have never let the suckers get to flowering stage. The roses came from a rather large local nursery several years ago, never had a problem with other roses that I got there, just my Just Joeys.

Are the rootstock that is coming up, "thornyish"  

Maybe Silky you could phone the nursery and ask them if this particular Rose has had this problem before as I know some Roses are renowned for it. They may be able to tell you how they handled the problem. They may be interested to know you are having this problem and want a piece of the sucker to look at....  

Silky, I recently went for lunch at a friend of a friend's. She heard that I had roses, and asked me to look at hers, a row of 10 Mr Lincolns planted about 20 years ago. After a few years, she said, she had noticed they seemed 'a bit different'.

I took a look. Sure enough, the lady now has two Mr Lincolns and eight Dr Hueys ;-)))

Roseman, yes thorny elongated stems, small leaves that look different. These suckers grow very rapidly and are clearly different from the rest of the foliage on the plant.
Betsy, what a shock she would have got!
Re contacting the nursery Dianne, I might talk to them next time I'm there, although it was several years ago, maybe even 10 years ago. Don't know if it would be of any use but no harm in trying.
At least I've got rid of them for this season. 

you are not limited to one sucker per season.....I have had 3 off one bush within a 2 month period...

Oh no, bummer. I'll just keep my fingers crossed and a sharp eye out.

And a Sharp knife ready too Silky......  

no knife..it will regrow....push down and snap it off...

Yes, snap it off, that's what I did. I know cutting suckers just stimulates them to renewed growth. However snapping them off isn't always as easy as it sounds. Thorny little buggers.

Do as you are told Silky! Put your gloves on!!! LOL

SueH wrote:Do as you are told Silky! Put your gloves on!!! LOL

and your shoes , so you can stomp it off.......